Street-valve and fire-plug box.



y E. PRENDERGAST.

STREET VALVE AND FIRE PLUG BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY '1, 1908.

945,596.5 Patented Jan.4,'1910.

uurrun srarss PATN OFFICE.

EDWARD PRENDERGAST, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

STREET-VALVE AND FIRE-PLUG' BOX.`

Application filed May 7,

To ollwtom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD Pnnxonuoas'r, a citizen of theUnited States, and resident of St. Louis, h'lissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street- Valve and Fire-Plug Boxes, of which the following is specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to a box or housing which is located immediately below thesurface of the ground, and which is adapted to inclose the valves of water mains, fire plugs, and the like, and the object of my invention is to construct a sectional box which may be readily set up at the point where the same is to be used, and which box is light, strong and durable, and is so constructed as to be put together without the use of nails, bolts, or vsimilar fastening devices.

'To the above purposes, my invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and arrangement-of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the'elainis, and illustrated in the ac-v companying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a valve.

box olf my improved construction; and Fig; 2 is a cross section of theboxas the same appears when inposition for use.

The box when completed andsetup for use is in the form of a truncated pyramid, and the sections forming said box are preferably constructed of concrete or analogous mater-iai. or they may be formed of metal or wood; The base or lower end of the box is constructed of four plates l, of equal size, and formed in the ends of one pair of these plates are Tlectangula'r notches 2, which are adapted to receive corresponding lugs 3 formed integral with the opposite pair of plates l when the plates are fitted together in rectangular forni. The upper half or top f of the box formed of four plates 4, of

equal size and shape, the lower edges of which rest directly against the top edges of the plates l when the box is set up for use, and formed in the ends of a pair of the plates l. are rectangular notches 5, adapted to receive corresponding lugs (5 formed on the opposite pair ol' said plates 4. The box so `constructed is embedded in the ground in such a manner as that the upper edges of the plates l are llush with the surface of the ground, and the open upper end of the box Specification of Letters Patent.

serial No. 431,411.

the valve or lire Iplug occupies a position within the box.

The plates l-ean be readily formed from concrete or analogous plastic material, or maybe constructed of cast metal, and being to the point of use and there set up to invclose a Valve or fire plug.

The notches and lugs at the ends of the plates l and et provideisimpl'e means for locking the ends of said plates together, and when said plates are embedded in the ground VVhenthe base or lowerl half of the box is assembled in proper position in the ground, the upper edges of the plates l occupy inclined planes occupiedbynthe bodies of the plates and when the' upper half of the plates 4 bear direetly'against the inclined Atop edges ofthe plates l, thus firmly holding the upper half of the box in position while'the dirtis being tamped in around said box, and thus the two .parts of the four walls of the box are held 1n perfect aline ment and the upper half of the box is pre vented from shifting laterally in anydi-` rect-ion relatiyento lthe face of the box.

I claim:

1. The herein V`described' knock-down truncated box for streetvalves and re plugs, composed of a series of self-contained separable plates, theplates constitutin* the opposing side walls being alike as to torm, size and material and each plate being trapezoidal inform and having its edge 'faces 'formed at right angles to its front face, and having both ends uniformly tapered inwardly from the bottom to the top and each end provided with a recess, the face of the upper end wall of said recess being inclined upwardly and the faceof the lower end wall of said recess being likewise inclined land parallel with the first mentioned face, each plate composing the remaining side walls of said box being separable and alike as to form, size and material and each plate being trapezoielal in form, having its edges formed at right angles to its front face, its ends uniformly tapered upwardly and inwardly, and a tongue formed on each end of each of said plates adapted to t into the recesses the end of thepplate above and belo'av the is normally closed by a suitable cover 7, and A a very rigid and substantial box is provided.-

clined planes at right angles to the .,in.

box isfassembled the 4lower edges of the f formed in the first mentioned plaies, and,

Patented Jan. 4C, 1910.

in sectional form are readily transported loo llO

tongue receiving thc inward thrust of the adjacent plate. l

, 2. The herein described knocl -down truncated box for street valves and fire plugs, composed of a series of self-contained separable sections, each section being composed of a series of self-contained separable plates, the plates constitnting the opposing side Walls of each section being alike as to form, size and material 'and each plate being trape- Zoidal inY form and having its edge faces formed at right angles to its front face, and having both ends uniformly tapered from the bottom to the top'and each end provided With a recess, the face of the upper end Wall of said'recess being inclined upwardly and the face of the-lower end Wall of said recess being likewise inclined and parallel with the first mentioned face, each plate composing the remaining side Walls of each section being alike as to'iorm', size and material and each plate being tra Jezoidal in form, having its edges forme at right angles to its front face, its ends uniformly tapered upwardly and inwardly, and a tongue formed on each end of each of said plates adapted to iit into the recesses formed in the adjacent plates,'tlie'plates composing the upper section when assembled bein maintained against displacement outwar ly. from the 'plates of the lower section by the top edge faces of the lower plates.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my naine to this specication, in presence ofv two subscribing witnesses. x

-EDVAD PRENDERGAST- lVitnesses: A

M. l. SMITH, Y E. L. WALLACE. 

